Mabel's nap was disturbed by a knock on the door. She wiped her sleepy eyes and struggled to her feet. Opening the door, she was surprised to see little Sam Duncan smiling up at her.
"Good afternoon Sam. It's so nice of you to visit." She smiled, stepping outside and sitting herself on the bench. "Have a seat." she said, patting the bench beside her.
The little boy obliged and climbed up beside her. Opening his hand he proudly showed her two jelly beans. "I th..thought y..you might ll..like a treat." he stammered.
"Well you were right, I would love a treat, thank you." she said as he placed both of them in her hand. "But I think you should have one as well. Dr. Dumont has told me not to overdo it with the sweets."
He happily shoved his jelly bean into his mouth and smiled. Pausing in thought, the little boy's smile slowly disappeared," Mama ss..says...the mm...marshal is missin'. I thought yy...you mm...might be sss..sad." he said.
Mabel explained that she was sad, but she would be all right with such good friends looking out for her. The marshal and the mountie had good friends looking out for them too, and she told the little boy how those friends were out searching for them at that very moment.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Meanwhile, Gabriel and the others were gathered around Craddock's horse.
"There is no blood." Couteau observed as he looked up and down the trail for signs of the missing lawmen.
Archie followed him while the others stayed with Jack's horse, talking and giving their opinions as to what they thought may have happened.
"If there's no blood, then at least we know he wasn't ambushed." The blacksmith replied. " Maybe they've taken him captive, which means they may both still be alive."
"No." Couteau argued. "If they took him captive they would have taken his horse also, I think. Mabel said the corporal was looking for moonshiners, the marshal must have believed their still was nearby...he left his horse and went on foot." As the halfbreed spoke he continued walking and checking the underbrush.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Archie asked.
"This!" Couteau smiled. He pointed to the area where Jack had left the road. "Over here!" he shouted to the others. "I have found something."
- - - - - - - - - -
Mabel had noticed her hands trembling and asked Sam to retrieve her shawl from the kitchen. She didn't feel cold, but the shaking got worse. Her legs were trembling now. She asked the little boy to help her inside.
"Ss..hould I get dd..octor Dumont?" He looked up at her, concerned.
"I'll be just fine Sam, not to worry. I think I just got a chill. I'll sit by the fire until I warm up." Mabel replied as she sent the boy on his way.
Not knowing what was wrong Mabel assumed it was her nerves. She had been terribly worried about her husband, that must be what is was. Lying on the bed, she covered up with a wool blanket. She lay there thinking about Jack, remembering....a few years back...
She and Jack had gone fishing....Clive arrived to tell the marshal about the bank robbers. They had told her to go home, but instead she went tracking the outlaws. Jack had been furious , he told the mountie he would 'put that woman in her place, soon as we get back to town.'
Later, at the detachment, after Clive had gone to his quarters, Jack had raged at her. ' A woman's gotta know 'er place ' ,he had said.
Mabel had stared back at him. She was aware that her feelings for this man were very strong...because he was different than most..he respected her. But here he was, yelling at her, telling her she needed to be put in her place.
'I wager I know why ya never married' he said angrily. 'It's cuz ya can't take direction. No feller wants a woman who can't take direction!'
His face was so close to hers she could almost taste his breath. Grabbing the front of his jacket she stared straight into his eyes, 'And I wager I know why you never remarried after your wife died.' she replied.
Jack was shocked. 'It's because you were waiting for me...and now that I'm here you're scared to death.'
Then she pulled him forward and kissed his mouth, just as Clive opened his door and walked into the room.
'That's an interesting way of putting her in her place Jack.' the mountie had chuckled. 'perhaps you should try that on all the criminals.'
Mabel laughed to herself as she remembered.
Jack had been stand-offish for a day or two, embarressed more than angry. When he finally came around, he pretended as though nothing had happened, they picked up their friendship and carried on as before.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Aaaaaaaaaahh!" Jack hollered.
"Oh, sorry Jack." Clive apologized for kicking the marshal's injured leg. "It's no better then?"
"How in tarnation is it gonna get better if you keep kickin' at it?!"
Wendell MacWherter froze, "Shh...did you hear that?"
The group of rescuers stopped and listened.
"I swear, I heard someone yell...honest." MacWherter pleaded.
"Marshal ! Corporal!" Couteau shouted. They listened for a reply.
"Jack, I think someone is calling us." Clive turned to his friend. "It sounded like Gabriel Couteau.... Hey! We're down here!" the mountie shouted.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Jack yelled again, as Bennett kicked his leg one more time.
"There! You must have heard that!" Wendell smiled.
Rushing in the direction of the noise, they soon came upon the lawmen. "Are you all right boyo?" Archie yelled down at Clive.
"I think Jack has a broken leg Archie. But other than that, we're fine."
Wendell and Liam waited by the still while Couteau went back to the horses for more rope. Archie was fastening his rope to a large tree, preparing for a rescue attempt.
Opening the lid on the washtub, Wendell was startled enough that he fell backwards, feeling the earth move under him, he grabbed at Liam who made a desperate grab for the rope Archie held in his hand. Both men tumbled into the hole as Archie Stanton watched in amazement.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mabel was beginning to realize it wasn't from the cold, and her nerves weren't causing her body to tremble either. No one had warned her this would happen, but she knew it meant the baby was coming.
She had bad pains in her back...that didn't make sense. The pain was supposed to be in her belly, wasn't it? Maybe something was wrong...maybe she was going to die like Emma. Getting herself to her feet she walked to the door and yelled for Marie, then she eased herself onto the settee and waited.
Ardamous Boone heard her cry for help and half ran, half staggered to the store. The door was locked, he began yelling "I need a woman! Help someone! I need a woman!"
Two cowboys making their way from the livery to the saloon overheard the commotion and laughed to each other, "Old Ardamous is drunk again."
Mabel was sitting by the window, rubbing her belly when Ardamous walked in.
"Ah..hello miss Mabel.....Doctor Doomont ain't around jus now, but I'll tell 'er yer lookin' for 'er soon as I see 'er....I promise." he said sheepishly, then he turned to leave.
"Ardamous! Don't leave me!" Mabel pleaded. "I need to get to the bed."
"Well now, you jus go right on ahead....don't let me stop ya."
"I need you to help me Ardamous."
"Me? Oh no ma'am.....if that there sheriff comes back and finds us alone....in that room...he'll go plum loco!"
"I'm having a baby Ardamous!"
"Yes ma'am...I know that...but it ain't got nothin' ta do with me.... make sure ya tell that sheriff.... it ain't got nothin' ta do with me!...I knows he gets a might jealous 'a you n' me bein' so fond 'a each other."
Grabbing the old man by the hand, Mabel pulled herself to her feet and drug him along to the bedroom.
" Did you know he was gonna shoot me once? He thinks I killed his pa....ifn' he finds you and me in here, he might shoot us both! " Ardamous protested.
"Aaaahhhhh!" Mabel doubled over, squeezing Boone's hand. She was starting to have hard contractions.
Struggling to free himself from her grip,"Now looky here ma'am...I'll jus go find a woman...gotta be one out there somewheres." he suggested, pointing to the door. "Whiskey! Ya got any whiskey? That otta dull the pain."
Ignoring the question, Mabel layed down on the bed, still holding the old man's hand. She knew if Boone escaped he wouldn't come back with help...he'd just go to the saloon, pass out...and tell someone about it after he woke up...if he remembered.
"Ardamous, I'm going to have a baby, there's no one here but you...if you leave me alone I'll die."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Okay boyo, I'm sending ya the rope." Archie yelled down the mine shaft to corporal Bennett.
Jack Craddock was the first to be brought to the surface. His face grimaced with pain as they laid him down gently on the ground. Marie tended his leg. She immediately told him it wasn't broken, and although she had never seen a case this extreme, she believed it to be a bad tear in the muscle. Moving him was going to be difficult.
"Just help me get ta my feet Marie." Jack insisted. "Alls I need is a walkin' stick."
The doctor argued...in vain. Craddock began his walk to the main road, it was a slow process but he was determined. Although he put most of his weight on the stick, the movement of his body caused pain to shoot through his leg. Marie held his arm, and continued her protest.
"Let us carry you Jack, we can carry you on a blanket." the doctor pleaded.
"I'm fine Marie.... Couteau! Get my horse!" he was determined to get home as quickly as possible.
Getting into the saddle was not only difficult, but extremely painful. The long ride back to Bordertown pushed the marshal's pain threshold to the limit.
Arriving at his cabin, Jack was not sure if... or how he would get down from the horse's back.
Sitting in the saddle, dizzy from pain, he waited for Couteau. Jack yelled out as the half breed grabbed him by the waist and pulled him to the ground.
Leaning his head against the horse for a moment, until he regained his composure, he spoke to Couteau, "Hand me that stick." he ordered.
Looking towards the window, he expected to see his wife's worried face. "Where's Mabel ?.... Marie!"
"She is probably at the store sneaking candy and gossiping with Sally." the doctor replied.
Helping Jack up the steps, Gabriel opened the cabin door and the marshal hobbled inside.
"Mabel !"
"Oh no...it's the sheriff!" he heard Ardamous Boone's voice coming from the bedroom.
"Jack!" Mabel called out. "Come here...I have a surprise for you."
With Marie holding one arm and Gabriel the other, Jack crept into the room. Ardamous Boone was grinning proudly by the side of the bed..and Mabel...was holding a baby.
"Mabel...." It was all Jack could say. His voice trailed off as his gaze met with the bundle she held in her arms.
"Now look here sheriff...I ain't done nothin' in-decent..." Ardamous defended himself.
Ignoring the old man, Jack hobbled to the bedside...Boone quickly moved out of his path. Sitting on the edge of the bed, the marshal momentarily forgot about his pain as he looked down into the face of his newborn son.
"Jack Ardamous Craddock...I'd like you to meet your pa." Mabel said with a smile.
"Well I'll be..." Jack chuckled as he moved the blanket, exposing the little round face. "I got me a son."
Kissing the baby's forehead gently, then his wife.
Marie and Gabriel also took a peek at the newest member of the Craddock family. "Looks like Bordertown has a new marshal." Marie said excitedly.
"Jack, you're hurt." Mabel said, suddenly realizing her husband had made a painful entrance into the room.
"Ain't nothin'...just a sprain....Boone! You got somethin' ta do with this?" The marshal looked at the old man angrily.
"Oh no sir...not me sheriff...I ain't got nothin' ta do with that there young 'un...I was just here..helpin'..cuz doctor Doomont weren't around."
"You delivered my son?"
"Yes he did Jack." His wife smiled, "I couldn't have done it without him."
"That's alls I did sheriff...I only looked when I had ta...don't rightly remember much...little feller just plopped right out there...and I caught 'im!"
Clive Bennett entered the room. "Jack?....Mabel?" he said, spotting the baby cradled in the marshal's arms.
"I got me a son Clive....can ya believe that?" Jack beamed. "I got me a son."